Sewing

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Hi, I'm back! I have not forgotten about this blog. I often write posts in my head, when I can't find the time to sit and type. I feel as though, now, four months into the school year, I'm getting back on my feet after having kids home all summer and homeschooling one last year.

This recipe for jellied cranberry sauce is so good, it prompted me to FINALLY get back on here! When I was a kid, a special treat with a meal would consist of a small amount of cranberry sauce or apple sauce. I remember on Thanksgiving being able to have more than just a small amount of cranberry sauce and it was delicious!

The past two years, I have made my own cranberry sauce (more of a relish style). This year, I found this recipe for jellied cranberry sauce and I had to share. I know it's a favorite at my parent's house and people who might not be compelled to try the relish would love this recipe. It is my goal to eliminate prepackaged and processed foods from my eating. For the past three weeks, I have not eaten much sugar and little to no grains. I am not above eating sugar or grains, I just like to make these products myself, so I know what I am putting into my mouth. I find eating healthy is not a cold turkey and you're done deal, it takes a long time. My way is do it myself first, then move on to elimination, portion control, etc. If I can't do it myself, I wonder should I be eating it.

At any rate, this sauce came out just like store bought, but with no chemicals. It's easy and delicious, I hope that I will inspire someone to try to make their own cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce:

2 bags cranberries
2 cups sugar (sugar in the raw is ok too)
juice from 1 orange- then add water so it totals 2 cups liquid
zest from half of the orange

1) Put all ingredients in stockpot and bring to a boil.
2) Let boil for ten minutes, cranberries will start to pop- I gently mashed the berries against the side of the pan.
3) Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve- press hard on the berries to remove juices and pulp. I ended up putting the remnants from the sieve into a cheesecloth and squeezing out more liquid afterwards.
4) Place in air tight container in refrigerator for up to one week, or seal in a canning jar by boiling in water for 15-20 minutes. Jar should be ~1" below water level.
Jar can be stored at room temp for one year if sealed.

Once refrigerated, if you use a jar that is straight (wide mouth)- you should be able to overturn and get the sauce to pop out of the "mold". I will just scoop mine out, as I did not have a straight style jar.